Mix it Up! – Herve Tullet (book review)

Earlier this week, I asked my Facebook followers to nominate their favourite children’s books for review.

Within ten minutes, I had everyone telling me I just HAD to get my hands on a copy of Mix it Up! by Herve Tullet.

All right, all right! Peer pressure wins. I tracked down a copy a yesterday, and here are my thoughts (and those of my four-and-a-half-year-old daughter).

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Mix it Up! / Herve Tullet

(Allen & Unwin, 2014)

The majority spoke, and I must concur – this book is wonderful! In Mix it Up!, Tullet uses dots of paint and interactive magic to teach children how colours mix to create new colours.

First, the magic. Children tap the book to first invite the colours onto the page, and then to make their hand magic.

And now, with their magic hands, they can mix the colours on the page. They do this in many ways – pressing colour into other colours with their hands, pressing pages together tightly, and, in my purple-enamoured daughter’s favourite part, tilting the book to mix red with blue.

My daughter knows her colours well, but is always asking for confirmation. “Does yellow and red make orange? Or purple maybe? No, orange? Mum? MUM? MUUUUUUMMMMM?” Now, she nails it every time. There’s nothing like having visual confirmation of your hunch instead of hearing your mum sigh and say, “Yes, sweetie. Orange.” For the hundredth time.

We’ve had Mix it Up! for less than twenty-four hours, and I’ve already ordered it. Future Easter present, perhaps? Birthday present? Just-because-we-love-it present? Haven’t decided yet. Just gotta have our very own copy! You can get your own copy too – either here from Booktopia, or here from Book Depository.

Have you read Mix it Up!? What did you think?

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click to buy the item, I earn a little commission but you don’t pay any extra.

I have never heard of this one but it sounds and looks like something kids would love so thanks for sharing. I am trying to track down Naughty Agapanthus – a tale I loved as a kid which is probably out of print now.

Thanks for your amazingly timed review Em! Little E received a belated xmas prezzie yesterday which was ‘Press Here’ by Herve Tullet as well. Crazy. It’s all the fun of a touch-screen, but on paper. I love it already.

Looks like a beautiful book Em. We have The Game of Light by Herve Tullet. It has cut out shapes on each page and you use a torch to shine onto the page to create shadows on the wall. The kids love it and it’s a bit of fun before bed if it’s dark enough. I love how there’s so many different books out there for kids – lucky things!